My $5 Challenge Value Meal - Sesame Tofu with Tamari Ginger Sauce

Most of you know my food philosophy and my passion for organizations like Slow Food, so it may come as no surprise that tomorrow, September 17th I'm taking Slow Food's $5 Challenge. The challenge encourages you to cook a fresh and healthy meal for five dollars or less per person. The meal can be a meal with your family or friends or a potluck. The more the merrier because it helps to spread the word. I'll be making this tasty and budget-friendly dish for friends who are coming for dinner tomorrow night. Tofu, rice, carrots and peas are inexpensive and here they come together and make a taste-treat dinner. 

Join me and the thousands of others around the country and take the $5 Challenge. Slow Food is the backlash to the fast food industry. Its mission is about good, clean and fair. GOOD refers to taste and quality. CLEAN refers to where food comes from – a healthy food system. FAIR refers to proper and just compensation for all those that work in the food chain. GOOD, CLEAN AND FAIR should all come together. 


Slow Food is about more than food, its about recapturing the food system. Slow Food does a lot to help small food producers and artisans compete in the global marketplace without having to compromise their scale and quality. It's also very big on the notion of conviviality, which distinguishes it from other food organizations. I could say so much more ... please pledge to take the challenge and share your $5 story.

Sesame Tofu with Tamari Ginger Sauce 

Tofu’s lack of any distinguishable flavor allows for the addition of intense tasting enhancements like this Tamari Ginger Sauce. The outstanding properties of this dish are not only the delicious sauce but also the combination of my favorite textures; crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. 

Helpful to know: Tamari Ginger Sauce can be prepared in advance and heated just before tossing tofu. Before measuring out the honey, coat the inside of the tablespoon with oil; the honey will slide right out providing a perfect measure. Plan accordingly; the tofu needs to drain of excess water for 30 minutes or longer. To drain, place tofu on a plate; top tofu with a plate, and top the plate with a cast iron skillet or a weighted casserole dish, pan or heavy platter. Cook the carrots while the tofu is cooking.

Tamari Ginger Sauce

3 tablespoons honey

⅛ cup tamari

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon powdered ginger

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and mix until well blended. While tofu is cooking heat sauce over moderate heat.

Sesame Tofu

One 14-ounce package extra firm tofu, drained of excess water

About ¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup or more canola oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

½ cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup carrots julienned, cooked until fork tender

¼ cup roasted and salted peanuts

Cut tofu block into 6 slices, cut each slice in half, cut each half on the diagonal to form a triangle, you’ll end up with 24 triangles. Place triangles in a shallow rimmed vessel. Evenly distribute flour over tofu, gently covering all surfaces; a flour sifter works great! Heat oil in a sauté pan over moderately high heat; add tofu and cook in batches until golden brown on all surfaces. Transfer tofu to a shallow serving dish to accommodate and gently toss with Tamari Ginger Sauce. Top with toasted sesame seeds, peas and cooked carrots.  Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Basil Drenched Pasta with Shrimp, Peas and Tomatoes

This is a crowd-pleasing dish I love to serve during the summer months. It's one of the more popular recipes from my cookbook, This Book Cooks. It’s a rather simple main dish entrée, the basil dressing, pasta, shrimp and peas can be prepped in advance. Toss the dish with the dressing just before serving.  Serve with slices of good quality bread like one of favorites, ciabatta. The choice of pasta is a matter of preference, short pasta like the one in the picture works well as does fusilli.   

Tidbits for perfection: Over the years I have found that most pre-cooked, peeled shrimp have become almost devoid of any flavor, I prefer to use 26-30 count raw shrimp that I cook, peel and devein. To thaw frozen peas, set peas in a bowl and cover with warm water. When peas begin to break apart and/or thaw, drain water and cover again with warm water. The peas should be ready after the second soaking/thawing, if not, repeat process. Cover and refrigerate until tossing time.

Basil Dressing

3 cups fresh basil leaves

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Drop basil leaves into the bowl of a food processor; add olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar, salt and fresh ground black pepper, and process until incorporated.

Pasta

½ pound pasta, cooked according to package directions and cooled

Shrimp, Peas and Tomatoes

2 pounds large shrimp, steamed, peeled and deveined

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces

In a large bowl, combine pasta with shrimp, peas and tomatoes. Toss with basil dressing. Yield: 6 servings.

So Good Soba Shrimp Salad

With an abundance of color, flavor and texture, this cold main dish salad receives rave reviews every time I serve it. And because the shrimp can be steamed, the dressing assembled and the noodles cooked ahead of time, it's the perfect dish for entertaining!*

 MENU

So Good Soba Shrimp Salad

Sliced French or Ciabatta Bread

Helpful to know: Soba noodles are native Japanese pasta made of buckwheat flour (soba-ko) and wheat flour (komugi-ko). Because buckwheat doesn't bind well, it is often combined with wheat flour or wild yam (jinenjo); but in order to be officially classified as Soba, the noodles must contain at least 30% buckwheat. Some believe the higher the buckwheat content, the better/tastier the noodles. There are several variations of soba noodles but my preference is Eden Foods Wild Yam Soba which can be found in most health-oriented grocery stores nationwide.

If noodles stick together after cooking, toss with olive oil. I prefer serving the pasta separate from the So Good Toppings as the topping ingredients are heavy and tend to sink beneath the noodles. My preference for feta is Valbreso French Feta Cheese (PKT Product Resource List, page __) which can be found in most grocery stores nationwide.

If you haven't prepared anything in advance begin with …

Shrimp

1½ pounds jumbo shrimp, steamed, peeled and deveined

While the shrimp is steaming …

So Good Dressing

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1½ cups extra virgin olive oil

In a 3-4 cup capacity jar with a tight fitting lid, combine salt, pepper, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar. Cover and shake mixture vigorously. Add olive oil, cover and shake until incorporated. Keep at room temperature until ready to use. Shake dressing just before tossing noodles and toppings.

Soba Noodles

Two 8.8-ounce packages soba noodles, broken in half

Cook according to package directions. Cool to room temperature.

While the noodles are cooking …

So Good Toppings

1½ pounds steamed jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, cut into bite size pieces

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup yellow pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 cup orange pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces

One 14-ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered

½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted

½ cup green onions, sliced

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

In a large bowl, combine shrimp, peas, yellow pepper, orange pepper, artichoke hearts, olives and green onions. Toss with just enough dressing to lightly coat toppings; transfer to a serving platter. Top with crumbled feta cheese and cherry tomatoes.

Toss room temperature soba noodles with the remaining dressing or just enough to evenly coat the pasta. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl.

* If you've steamed the shrimp, prepared the dressing and cooked the noodles ahead of time, simply start with the So Good Toppings then let the entertaining begin! Yield: 10-12 servings.

Wild Rice Salad with Shrimp, Feta Cheese, Kalamata Olives and Roasted Red Peppers

A bag of wild rice from the Minnesota based wild rice company, Christmas Point was one of many hostess gifts from our good friends George and Eric. Thank you George and Eric for introducing this fantastic tasting rice to us, Mr. Fabulous and I love it!

It has a distinct nutty flavor and a delightful chewy texture and turned out to be the perfect complement to this combination I whipped together last night for dinner.

Here's what to do ... after you've cooked the rice, keep at room temperature. Top rice with cooked jumbo shrimp, bite size pieces of roasted red peppers, pitted Kalamata olives and crumbled Valbresso cheese. Just before serving, drizzle salad with vinaigrette dressing. Garnish with parsley leaves.

Asparagus

Just cooked fresh asparagus spears!

I’ve often wondered if grocery store produce departments offered frequent flier miles for fruits and vegetables purchased within a given year, what fruit or vegetable would collect the largest number of miles? I did some research and learned asparagus generally logs more miles in a week than commercial airline pilots! By the time this delicate vegetable finds its way into your grocery store basket it has traveled the globe.

Most of the asparagus we purchase hails from as far away places as Peru, China and California. As the crow flies, Peru is 3,536 miles from Maryland, China 7, 446 and California 3,000! Peru is currently the world’s leading asparagus exporter having overtaken other major U.S. and China producers. 

This is an example of precisely what happened in Hadley, Massachusetts (297 miles from Maryland) which until recently was the asparagus capitol of the world. Today the bulk of their asparagus harvest is imported. Towns surrounding Hadley don’t even supply “Hadley grown” asparagus at any local Farmer’s markets!

This isn’t the way we intended to protect, preserve and honor our local agriculture; we need to reverse the trend. To do this and to prevent the carbon footprint from having more of an impact on our environment, we need to buy food in its growing season. There are so many added benefits to eating foods in their growing season; foremost, food is at its peak flavor and it offers the most nutrients.

Selecting, Storing and Preparing

The asparagus season is brief and runs generally from April through May. Asparagus stalks should be rounded, look for firm stems with deep green or purplish closed tips. The thickness of asparagus spears is a matter of preference, (and will determine the cooking time) I’ve discovered over the years the most flavorful spears are medium sized. Use asparagus within one to two days of purchasing. To store, remove the bands that bound the stalks. Store in the refrigerator with the ends wrapped in a paper towel. Before cooking, remove woody end (about 1-2 inches from the bottom) from each stalk.

Serving suggestions

Asparagus can be served hot or cold. If you’re serving cold asparagus, (although I think serving the spears cold mutes their flavor) plunge the stalks in cold water immediately after cooking, once cold, remove the stalks and transfer to a kitchen towel. Many methods can be applied when cooking asparagus. Stalks can be steamed, boiled, broiled or grilled. I tested each method and discovered the most flavorful asparagus is boiled; it evokes a clean mild flavor and preserves the bright green color. 

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Asparagus

Lemon and asparagus are a complementing combination. This recipe is simple to assemble, colorful, refreshing and so representative of spring. The dish stands on its’ own but if you want to serve accompaniments, toss baby lettuce leaves with an oil and vinegar dressing and serve with slices of olive bread.

When preparing this dish, for optimum results, the eggs and milk should be at room temperature. The ingredients are easier to incorporate if the pasta is broken in half before cooking. Be sure to grate the lemon zest before you juice the lemon.

2 eggs

1 cup milk

8-ounces angel hair pasta

One bunch fresh asparagus trimmed of woody end and cut into 1-inch pieces (cutting the asparagus on the diagonal adds to the presentation)

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium bowl, whisk until well combined eggs and milk. Cook pasta in salted boiling water for about 4 minutes, add asparagus and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until asparagus is just fork tender, drain. While the pasta and asparagus are cooking, melt butter, in a medium skillet over moderate heat, add lemon rind, lemon juice and salt, cook for 1 minute. Pour lemon/butter mixture over pasta and asparagus and toss. Add egg/milk combination to pasta/asparagus mixture and cook over low heat for a few minutes or until mixture slightly thickens, stirring constantly, serve immediately. Serve Parmesan cheese buffet style. Serves 4-6.

Herbed Trout with Fried Carrots

A fantastic tasting entree that has so much flavor and texture. It reminds me of so many wonderful fish dishes I’ve had in high end restaurants over the years that I never thought I could duplicate. Nick dubbed it, invite-friends-for-dinner. Serve fish over wild rice or couscous as well as with a fresh seasonal unadorned complementing vegetable. I had an assortment of mushrooms on hand, I sauteed them in a little olive oil and added them to the couscous and stirred in a handful of peas for added color and fiber.

Helpful to know: Any leftover herb marinade makes for a great tasting stock for fish soup, stew or chowder.

Herbed Trout

2 cups water

2 vegetable cubes

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup fresh parsley, minced

4 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons thyme

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add vegetable cubes and stir until cubes have dissolved. Add butter, parsley, grated lemon zest and thyme, stir until butter has melted. Transfer mixture to a baking dish that will accommodate the fish fillets.

4 trout fillets or any other relatively thin, mild tasting white fish

Add fillets, spoon marinade over fillets and allow to marinate at room temperature for about a ½ hour.

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake fish for about 30 minutes, (or until cooked through) halfway through baking time baste fish with herb mixture.

Fried Carrots

2 medium carrots, shred (using a vegetable peeler)

Canola oil for frying

In a large skillet heat oil over moderately high heat, add carrots and saute until brown turning constantly. Watch closely there is a narrow margin between brown and crispy carrots or blackened carrots. Yield: 4 servings.

Catfish on Lemon Beds Swimming in Olive Oil with Artichoke Hearts and Kalamata Olives

Don't know what to have for dinner tonight? Here's an elegant 5-ingredient entrée brimming with flavor. It's super simple to assemble, all you have to do is sandwich catfish filets between tangy lemon slices, season with salt and pepper then blast with olive oil and top with delicate artichoke hearts and abundant flavored Kalamata olives. It's an irresistibly yummy combination. This savory sensational dish speaks for itself, so the choice of sides don’t need to be overly embellished, couscous and peas will round out the meal beautifully.

Just about any mild tasting white fish will work with these ingredients. Catfish happened to be on sale, but halibut, flounder, grouper and cod are a few examples of mild tasting white fish that will work with similar results.

Catfish on Lemon Beds Swimming in Olive Oil with Artichoke Hearts and Kalamata Olives

16 thinly sliced lemons, (about 2-3 lemons) seeds removed

4 fresh catfish fillets

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

1 can artichoke hearts, drained of water, quartered

½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange 8 lemon slices in the bottom of a 15 x 10-inch baking dish (4-quart capacity) and top with catfish fillets. Top with remaining slices of lemon. Pour olive oil evenly over fillets, season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes uncovered. Remove lemon slices from the top of fillets. Distribute artichoke hearts and Kalamata olives over fillets. Spoon any olive oil essence over the combination. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Carefully transfer fillets to individual serving plates, discarding lemons slices from the bottom of the filets. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Beef Pot Roast with Late Harvest Vegetables

Is there anything more simpatico in winter than pot roast for dinner? Once the roast is in the oven, I snuggle up in front of our fireplace and reduce my reading pile a few inches. While languishing, I enjoy the aroma that wafts from our kitchen stove and fills our house with the smell of a home-cooked meal. My beef pot roast recipe includes turnips and parsnips; some of winter’s hearty, nutrient-rich root vegetables. I love to accompany the roast with hot buttered biscuits, they're great for sopping up the seasoned broth.

Tidbits for perfection: I highly recommend Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth I highly recommend using MUIR GLEN® Organic tomatoes. No synthetic pesticides, no chemical fertilizers, "just gorgeous tomato taste, true to nature."

One 4-pound beef chuck roast

1 garlic clove, partially crushed

All-purpose flour

Canola oil

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2-3 medium onions, quartered

2 cans (14.25 ounce) chicken broth

One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice

Preheat oven to 325°. Rub roast with garlic and dredge in flour, coating all sides. In a large skillet, heat oil over moderate high heat and brown meat on all sides. Season meat with salt and pepper. Transfer meat to a Dutch oven or large roasting pan to accommodate the roast and eventually all the vegetables. Add onions, chicken broth and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 1 hour.

4-6 small to medium red or white potatoes, quartered

6-8 carrots, cut on the diagonal in pieces that are about 2-3 inches long

3 small turnips, peeled and quartered

4 parsnips, peeled cut on the diagonal in pieces that are about 2-3 inches long

3-4 stalks celery, cut in pieces that are about 4-5 inches long

Add potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips and celery to the roast and cook for another 2-3 hours. Turn vegetables once or twice to assure even cooking. Arrange pot roast on platter and surround with vegetables. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

Palak Paneer

For the most part we ate American fare growing up. When it came to ethnic food, my mother didn’t venture very far except for Italian standbys like lasagna and spaghetti with meatballs. I was introduced to ethnic food in my early twenties when I met Nick. On a whisk around the local restaurant “globe” I discovered a whole new world around eating. What a thrilling culinary escapade ... Chinese, Mexican, Indian and Mediterranean became some of my all-time favorite cuisines to eat.

While I truly adore them all, if I was forced to choose one as my favorite, its Indian cuisine! Particularly palak paneer, a popular dish with spinach and cheese. Spinach, one of my favorite vegetables – the palak part, is mixed with robust flavored spices and milk and then whirled in a food processor until it’s smooth and creamy. Paneer, a non-melting, fresh farmer cheese gets a quick sauté in oil. All in all it’s a flavor sensation, not to mention the wonderful combination of textures!

After so many years of enjoying this dish in restaurants, I finally got the courage to prepare it. I did some palak paneer recipe research and found many variations. I didn’t follow any one particular recipe; rather I used what I had on hand based on ingredients found in many of the palak paneer recipes I perused. Nick and I were thrilled with the results of my endeavor. Great news, it’s surprisingly simple to prepare.

Helpful to know: I use Thai Kitchen red curry paste in this recipe, I love the way its complex flavors unfold in this dish. Red curry paste can be found in the international isle and paneer can be found in the cheese department of most grocery stores nationwide. If you are lucky enough to have an Indian grocer nearby, they will likely have both in stock. As for serving, I prefer paneer situated on top of the palak but you can also mix it with the paneer.

Palak Part

2 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons red curry paste

One 16-ounce bag chopped spinach, thawed

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

In a large pot over moderate heat, heat oil, add cumin, turmeric and ginger, stir until well combined, cook for about 1 minute. Add red curry paste and spinach, stir until ingredients are incorporated. Add flour; stir until combined with spinach mixture. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, add salt, reduce heat and simmer for about 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Return to pot and keep warm while you prepare the paneer.

Paneer Part

1 tablespoon canola oil

One 8-ounce package paneer cheese, cut into bite size pieces

In a saute pan, heat oil over moderately high heat and sauté paneer until golden brown.

Palak Paneer

To serve, divide palak among 6 shallow rimmed bowls, top palak with paneer, distributing equally. Serves 4-6.

Comfort Food on a Cold Winter's Night

When we were kids, my mother prepared creamed chipped beef often and we relished every bite. We usually ate it for breakfast over slices of homemade toast. Sometimes she would make savory versions adding mushrooms and seasoning it with sherry and fresh ground black pepper. It made for a comforting dinner on a cold winter's night.

The first few days of 2011 we spent in a log cabin situated on the top of a mountain near Winchester, Virgina. Blustery nights screamed for comfort food, so one night I prepared my mother's savory version of this popular 1950's classic. I spooned it over well toasted English muffins. It had been years since Nick and I had savored the flavors that come from homemade creamed chipped beef and we were in heaven. We enjoyed it so much, (you know when you've eaten something you can't stop thinking about) I've prepared it a few times since we've been home. It's just hard to resist the salty, creamy, flavor-filled combination that gets caught in all those nooks and crannies for which the English muffin is so noted.

Helpful to know: Dried beef can be found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores nationwide.

Creamed Chipped Beef

4 tablespoons butter

One 8-ounce package white mushrooms or about 6-8 medium mushrooms, sliced

One 4-ounce package dried beef, chopped into bite size pieces

4 tablespoons flour

2½ cups milk

1 tablespoon cooking sherry

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a medium pan, over moderate heat, melt butter. Saute mushrooms until soft, add dried beef and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, when mixture begins to thicken, reduce heat and simmer until serving time. Season with cooking sherry and black pepper.

4 English muffins, split in half

Toast English muffins, (we prefer them crispy brown in spots) and spoon creamed chipped beef over each muffin half. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Celebrate Day of the Dead … with these spirited treats

When we were in Guatemala, Mr. Fabulous and I drove across a mountainous road to Panajachel. Colorful tombstone-like squares jutting from the hilly landscape caught my attention. “Gravesites,” our driver told us, where annual celebrations are held to commemorate the spirit of the dead.

The gravestones varied in color; aqua, sea green, pure white, sky blue, burnt orange and turquoise fill large square pieces of land like pegs in a board game. It is among these gravestones that the Day of the Dead is celebrated in all of Mexico and much of Latin America. Celebrated annually on the first and second day of November, Day of the Dead is a day to honor, to remember and celebrate the deceased.

Far from morbid, families have large picnics at the gravesite, gravestones are elaborately decorated. To celebrate the spirit, the living dance to music. It is customary to eat brightly colored candy skulls and skeletons and people eat pan de muertos (Day of the Dead bread) with steaming cups of spicy hot chocolate. It is customary to eat dishes like mole, tamale and posole. This year I plan to celebrate those loved ones who have passed on and serve “Tamale” Pie, a Mexican-inspired dish that is always devoured.

After dinner I'll serve steaming cups of Spicy Hot Chocolate while popping a few candy skulls and skeletons!

Day of the Dead “Tamale” Pie

1¼ pounds lean ground chuck

2 teaspoons chili powder

One 16-ounce can condensed tomato soup

1 cup chopped peppers, any color

1 cup mild or medium salsa

½ cup water

1 recipe corn bread, recipe follows

In a medium skillet over moderate heat sauté ground chuck, add chili powder and cook until meat is brown, drain off any fat. Stir in tomato soup, peppers, salsa and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch-baking dish. Set aside while you prepare the corn bread.

Corn Bread

1½ cups fresh corn, or frozen

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup low fat sour cream

⅓ cup olive oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¾ cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

One 4-ounce can chopped green chilies, optional

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine corn, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, sour cream, olive oil, eggs, cheese and chilies. Spoon mixture over tamale pie and bake for 45 minutes. Serves 6.

Spicy Hot Chocolate

This hot chocolate recipe calls for The Spice Hunter’s Winter Sippers Hot Buttered Rum blend, available from most grocery stores nationwide. It is a complementing blend of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, cloves and lemon oil and makes a delicious cup of hot chocolate.

6 cups milk

½ cup cocoa powder

½ cup Winter Sippers Hot Buttered Rum blend

In a large saucepan, warm milk over a medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in cocoa and Hot Buttered Rum blend. Heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until desired temperature. Serves 6.

Gearing up for Colorful Plate Party

We're hosting a Colorful Plate Party this coming weekend. It's all in an effort to celebrate the end of the summer's harvest. Well almost, many of the foods still have a few more weeks until the forthcoming slumbering (albeit growing) harvest starts submerging! So Mr. Fabulous and I will be testing several colorful combinations this week.

Last night we made steak fajitas. I topped them with black beans, garden-fresh tomatoes, shredded purple cabbage, just-from-the-cob corn, shredded lettuce and sour cream. So satisfied with the flavor (and the colors were so vibrant and inviting) we had them again for lunch today.


Be sure to check back throughout the week for more ideas on how to use summer's beautiful, colorful bounty.


Do you have any colorful food combinations you want to share?